A/N: Hey. I should probably get just to the story; since everyone just skips these comments anyways, but I would just like to say how thankful I am for all of those reviews. I honestly didn't expect anywhere near that many for one lousy chapter I wrote as quickly as I could. Anyways, I know I really delayed this update. I'm not really sure why I did. Maybe I was just waiting for a good idea to end this story with. It never came, and it's been months, so I guess I owe you this update. Thanks a bunch all of you :)

Disclaimer: I think we all know the drill. I do not own Pretty Little Liars or anything at all. Well, maybe I do own this idea, but whatever.

Aria Montgomery's face shot up, her curled hair bounced back, and a lump was caught in her throat. She had not just heard Ezra correctly, had she? Had he really just confessed his still present love her at her graduation? Knowing Ezra, he probably had. He was a hopeless romantic, and no matter how hard he tried to stop it, Aria knew that he would pour his heart out at any certain time. But still, at her graduation? Next to her now-former teachers? Was that really very smart?

Sure, this had been the day that they had planned to confess their love for one another to the public, but that was back then, when they were still together, when they were still madly in love. Which they still were, no question about it. But back then, they would admit it. Now, they had mutually decided to avoid each other as much as possible.

Shaking, she looked up at him. His piercing blue eyes looked beyond her, searching her soul. She shivered, loving the way he had that effect on her. They didn't speak for a second. Hell, they didn't speak after that second either. But that second, that second of split silence and understanding, it was enough to crush their both broken hearts even more.

Her hand still buzzed with fireworks from where Ezra had grabbed it, and her mind kept on replaying what he had told her.

"I love you."

The words ringed in her head, over and over again, and she couldn't help but smile. So, for that second, they stayed there. Aria smiling, her hand shaking, and Ezra full of fright, obviously nervous that she was angry at him. But the second was over when Aria heard principle Hackett's voice over the microphone.

"Amanda Mozzy." It was clear that he was also announcing that Aria was suppost to leave the stage and join her classmates on the chairs behind her.

She, of course, understood, and reluctantly began to walk away from Ezra. She tried to catch his eye, but he had already turned away from her. He was thinking about how she hadn't said I love you back. He was thinking about her eyes. He was thinking about the way she smiled, the way she talked, the effect she had on him. He was thinking about how much he wanted to marry her.

The next time they talked was later that day, out in the courtyard. The school had removed all of the wooden pick-nick tables, the coffee stand, and the old dying plants, and had redecorated the entire place. A graduation banner hung off of a stone wall, covering the moss growing on the wall. Five buffet tables had appeared under the banner, overflowing with cake, drinks, and other snacks. A large stereo was stuck on the wall, and calming music racketed on the walls of the courtyard. Firefly lights were stuck to the window-walls. Helium balloons floated from the ground. Some chairs were placed in various locations, allowing the grandparents of the graduates to sit down.

Aria was near one of the snack tables with her friends. Emily was eating a cupcake, Spencer was nibbling on a crumpet, and Hanna was sipping a drink that she had mixed with a bit of her own alcohol mix. They weren't talking much, more of enjoying their own presence. After all, silence can be louder than noise. They were all thinking of the same thing: A and the weeks to come.

Now that they had graduated, they had all hoped that maybe A would stop bothering them. But then again, who knew? They were all going to college, heading their own ways. So, even if A decided that the game wasn't over yet, there was no way that they would be able to follow the girls to four different states. They would be A free, but they would also be free of one another. And after being friends for so long, none of them were sure of how that would work. But then again, they had agreed to call, Skype, and text each other daily. And all four of them knew that it would definitely work out.

Their blissful silence was interrupted by Byron Montgomery.

"Sorry to interrupt your," Byron thought for a moment, "quiet conversation, but Aria, your mother wants to take some pictures of you." He grabbed for his daughters shoulder, making sure not to wrinkle her graduation gown, and then turned to the girls. "And I'm pretty sure she would love some pictures of all of you girls, too." He led them to the other side of the courtyard, where Ella Montgomery stood with a camera.

Ella took many photos, some of Aria alone, some with her and her family, and some with each of her friends. Aria smiled in every photo, clearly happy that she had completed the hell of a high school she attended. But, deep down, she wished that she could take a picture with Ezra, too. She still thought about what he had told her, and she knew that she probably would continue thinking about it for a very long time.

When they all finished taking pictures, Ella and Byron noticed that the girls wanted to be left alone, so they quietly excused themselves to the snack table. The girls stared at each other, and Aria couldn't help but smile.

"What?" Emily asked.

"It's nothing," Aria whispered, and put her gaze down to the floor under her. "It's just; we've made it so far. Look at us. Just a few years ago we were with Alison, just a year ago we were receiving our first text message, and now we're graduating. I just, I uh, I just can't believe it."

"Neither can I," Hanna whispered, just as she put her glass of alcohol back to her lips.

They stayed in silence again, thinking about each other. But after a few minutes, Hanna was called out to the front gate to meet her grandmother, who was late due to a flight delay. Toby had asked Spencer to go the cafeteria so he could give her his present, and Emily had to go speak to her parents, leaving Aria alone.

She was fine with that, of course, and she smiled as she looked around, staring at her happy graduation class. Her thoughts, however, were interrupted by a tap on her shoulder. She spun around, coming face to face with Ezra Fitz.

"Can I talk to you?" he asked nervously. "Please?" She couldn't help but notice how his left hand continuously patted his pocket, as if checking if something was still there.

"Sure," Aria replied. "What's up?"

He was about to open his mouth, but something interrupted them. The DJ had decided at that moment to play Happiness by The Fray. Aria couldn't help but smile.

"I guess he got my request," Ezra mumbled as he nodded to the music.

"You requested B-26?"

"Wouldn't be the first time," he answered, maybe a bit too quickly. She knew he was referring to when they had met.

She opened her mouth to speak, but no words came out, and her face broke into a smile. From the corner of her eye, she saw Emily, Hanna, and Spencer re-united in a corner of the courtyard, now happily talking, and nervously pointing at her.

"We talked about today, didn't we?" Ezra asked, breaking the silence. "We were suppost to announce ourselves to the world today."

Aria stared into his eye. "We were. But that was months ago." Her voice was suddenly sharp, as if it was warning him to back off and not go any further. She didn't want anything to happen right then. But of course, he didn't take the hint.

"Can we at least dance?" he muttered. "You've graduated. We can dance. Just to, you know," he trailed off.

Aria nodded. "Sure," she told him, and wrapped her arms around his neck. She noticed her parents staring at her, but didn't care. She would have her moment with Ezra no matter what.

Aria felt Ezra's strong arms wrap around her waist, and she leaned into his shoulder, missing his warmth, taking in his scent. She closed her eyes, and for a minute, she was in heaven.

But that minute ended as the song finished, and Aria stiffened, not wanting to sway with the rock song that replaced Happiness. "Thank you," she whispered, looking straight at Ezra. "For everything you've done to me today."

He smiled, knowing she was also talking about him telling her he loved her. "Anything for you, Aria."

She didn't object, knowing he meant everything he said. He had proved it to her more than once. They stared into each other for many seconds, with eyes full of love and desire. But both of them knew that it wasn't right. In theory, they weren't right.

But forget, about theory, right?

"Aria," Ezra said slowly and carefully, as if he had recited every single word he was about to say. Aria looked at him and listened. The music changed above them. It turned into a slow, relaxing song. "I was going to get you a necklace for your graduation gift, Aria."

"Ezra, you didn't have to-" Aria began.

"Let me finish," Ezra interrupted. "I was going to get you a necklace, Aria. I went to every jewelry shop I could find. I looked at every necklace they had. Nothing was for you. Nothing could express how I feel about you. I was at Tiffany's when I realized what had led me to shop for jewelry for you. It wasn't just to give you a present, Aria, it was to give you something that would remind you that I would be there for you every day of your life. No matter what. That's when I realized my mistake, Aria. I was shopping for the wrong jewelry."

For a second Aria was confused. Ezra took that second to grab Aria's hands and bent down. She first thought he was maybe picking something up, but when she looked down, she saw he was on one knee, and understanding flooded towards her.

Ezra slowly removed a black velvet box from his pocket. His eyes never left Aria's. He opened the box, carefully, and still, never broke I contact. He held his breath for a very long time, and could even hear Aria's breathing heavily through their silence.

"Aria Montgomery, you are the one. No matter how many times I have tried to trick myself to thinking you are not the one, deep down I know it is you. We're wrong. I know. But you're the one who told me to forget about theory, isn't that right?"

Aria laughed and began to blush.

"We haven't been together for seven months and three days. I could tell you the hours, but I don't think you're interested. But let me tell you something, Aria Montgomery, there wasn't one second that we weren't together that I wasn't thinking about you. You. The girl at the bar. B-26. The Unexpected One. Pookie Bear. My Love. The only woman for me."

He gripped his hand tighter around Aria's.

"I know we agreed that we were going to move on. But let's face it, Aria, I can't. I can't live a day without thinking about you, there isn't a thing in this world that doesn't remind me of you, there isn't a person in this world who I could love more than you."

This time, Ezra took a deep breath.

"Today is your graduation. Your day to move on; take a big step into the world. But I know that you could take a bigger step today if you could take my hand and hold on forever. Nothing in the world would mean more to me than you being my wife. So please, Aria Montgomery, will you marry me?"

When Ezra stopped talking, he couldn't help but notice the silence in the courtyard. The music had stopped playing. Everyone had stopped talking. People were watching as an English teacher proposed to his student on the day of her graduation. But then again, he didn't care for them. The only person he cared about at that moment was Aria, and her answer.

At first, she didn't answer. He thought that maybe she would reject him. But he was only over-reacting, as they both knew she could never do something like that. They both loved each other too much.

Aria smiled, but didn't answer, and surprised Ezra by jumping into a long kiss.

They broke away for air, and at that moment, Ezra asked, "Is that a yes?"

"Of course, Ezra Fitzgerald. How could I say no?"

They both smiled happily, full of bliss. Ezra put the ring he had carefully selected onto her finger, and then they both reached into a long and over-needed hug.

"I missed you," she whispered into his ear.

"More than you would even know," he replied.

At that moment, Aria didn't care about anything around her. Not the surprised teachers, not the shocked parents, and not even the students. Her friends were shocked, of course, and Aria could see her mom taking a "just engaged" picture with a smile on her face. Her dad, however, was not amused.

But she would deal with that later. Because for now, all she cared about was Ezra, her Ezra, and nothing else. They would have a future together and nobody could stop them.

R/R: So, what did you think? Tell me in the reviews :)